To weight or not to weight

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Bettythanks for this thread, I just did my ow on the weekend and after reading this I spent a lot of time concentrating on my breathing and buoyancy control. I initially had trouble but thanks to this thread and some concentrating I think I did ok. Now just to keep practicing. Thanks again
 
nice thread
i havee some work to do here too
diving the stiletto with a 3mm long john in salt with a 80 gallon tank I am running 6 6 in the front with a 5 in the back
My trim is good, and with an almost empty tank, and bcd, I can swim to the surface and hold safety stop
But I seem to bob up and down at the first part of the dive, I attributed that to just needing to work on breathing and better bcd adjustments

Now I am not sure
i tend to natually be neutral to slightly negative with no gear


Have to re read this and consider if dropping down to 5 5 and 4 might worth a try

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2
 
3) BREATHING . . . we have to learn to master our breathing. Not just air consumption but actually using our lungs as a sort of BC . . . I'm definitely not there yet, but it's getting better. PLUS, the less often I have to pump air into my BC means more bottom time for me so for 'air hogs' the sooner you can master the weight/buoyancy/breathing issue, the sooner you will win the air war.

Veterans - please add your comments. Don't hesitate to flame me where needed. Let's face it . . my two cents isn't worth half its value so I'm not offended by having better information posted.

P.S. For those with weight integrated BC's, consider splitting your weights between the BC and a weight belt. If you should unintentionally lose the belt, or a weight integrated pocket, you will only lose a portion of the weight. (Veterans: Please chime in on any concerns about the difficulty ditching 'multiple' weights might be in this scenario).

Betty,

"my two cents isn't worth half its value so I'm not offended by having better information posted", your two cents worth are a valuable contribution. You are finding your way as we all do and are spot on.

When I first started I was up and down "air in, Air out" all through the dive This was due to overweighting and needing huge amounts of air in my BCD and this volume changes constantly with depth. The more volume you have the greater the change when changing depth. Now when I dive its with little weight and thus not much air in my BCD and so when I change depth it has less effect on boyancy. Thus I use much less air. I have gone from an air hog back to an air piglett.

I have found when helping newbies that they are nervous and worried for a number of reasons. Due to this they tend to hold their lungs partially full all the time, and as you say, they have an additional BCD inside them already inflated. Thus they then overweight to compensate, but soon as they get depth and relax they realise they are heavy. Next dive they drop weight, but due to lungs half full on submerging they cant get down so add more weight. Also their wetsuits do contain some air as well and when one descends this air is slowly squeezed out and on return to the surface you are marginally less buoyant. All this additional air adds up. On submerging I exhale totally and stay that way for a second or so until I drop down a metre then breath normally.

I too split my weights, I carry about 9lb with 3mm suit with one weight in the rear non dump pocket, and one weight in each front dump pocket. If I have to dump its in a controlled manner rather than losing the lot at once. With integrated weights you have to train your mind to grab either both pockets (or one) and pull, hold and drop. Note "PRACTICE" either actually in very shallow water (head just below the surface, feet on the sand), or mentally while diving "Hands on, mentally pull, mentally hold, mentally drop".

You now understand better the process and clearly making changes to dive better and more efficiently. Well done. And that you are prepared to share your experiences shows that you are confident as well which is great. Enjoy your diving!
 
As a new diver myself, I have also noticed that learning how much and trying to refine my weights has been a problem because I'm using completely different rigs at each and every dive (rental gear... grrrrr) and moving between fresh and salt water so frequently. I just haven't had enough experience in the same place with the same kit to know where to start. I keep asking. I keep forgetting. Ugh. It feels "safer" to over weight. At least I can get down, right? Wrong. Your post clearly illustrated that it's actually not safer. Proper weighting is essential.

Now that I'm trying to invest in my own kit, my very first agenda item will be to get my weight right and work on my buoyancy. Thanks for the important info.
 
I am not posting any recommendations or advice. I am going to give an experience example. I started diving 20 years ago. I am a pretty big guy. 6'5" and usually weigh around 225lbs. When I first started diving I wore 18 lbs of weight and blew through the air. On my first actual open water dive that I did after being certified my total dive time was 25 minutes and I finished the dive low on air. These days I dive with a max of 8lbs of lead and that is with an al80 tank. I never put air in my bcd. I can not remember when was the last time I used my inflator hose other than during equipment checks. I can hover 6" off of a silty bottom without stirring it up and all of this comes from controlling my breathing. I am not bragging about my skills I am simply pointing out that a new diver with lots of practice can do. I never would have thought that I could get to this point but I was determined that I was never going to be the first one back on the boat again after that first dive :) the most valuable thing you can do as a new diver is get your bouyancy under control and once you do you won't believe how much it changes the way you dive.
 
I'm a "big guy" also (6', 250 lbs), and have used 22 lbs w/a full 5 mil suit in salt water -- yeah, I know I'm overweighted. I'm working on reducing that 2 lbs at a time and practicing breath control -- making some progress.

I hope this isn't off topic, but on the issue of ditching weights -- I have seen people discuss splitting weight between their integrated BCD and a belt, for safety purposes (I presume in an emergency, it's still best not to ditch ALL your weight and rocket to the surface). Why is that better than just splitting weight between the two pockets on your BCD? Dump one but keep one, if necessary? Or (as a complete newbie), am I missing something? Thanks.
 
To me you can have weight belts and integrated and share the weight between all, or just use integrated and if you chose dump only one at the start in an emergency. Remember though that emergencies don't just happen nice and slow and there is heaps of time to decide what to do. It happens in a rush and usually all hell breaking loose. Often if people have lots of weight, I have about 22 lb if 6.5mm wetsuit and aluminium cylinder, and so I split it between non dump pockets, integrated and belt simply for comfort. Think about why you are doing what you do, not just because someone said it was the way to go. Less weight is better, but only as long as you can stay down when you are lightest at the end of the dive.
 
I'm a "big guy" also (6', 250 lbs), and have used 22 lbs w/a full 5 mil suit in salt water -- yeah, I know I'm overweighted. I'm working on reducing that 2 lbs at a time and practicing breath control -- making some progress.

I hope this isn't off topic, but on the issue of ditching weights -- I have seen people discuss splitting weight between their integrated BCD and a belt, for safety purposes (I presume in an emergency, it's still best not to ditch ALL your weight and rocket to the surface). Why is that better than just splitting weight between the two pockets on your BCD? Dump one but keep one, if necessary? Or (as a complete newbie), am I missing something? Thanks.

It's hard to know if or how much you are "overweighted".
A lot depends on how much muscle vs fat you are carrying as well as if you are diving with aluminum or steel tanks (and salt/fresh water & mil of weightsuit - as you have identified). Also, it depends on what you are doing at what depth.

I am 5'10", 200 lbs and dive at the present with 20 lbs with hp 3442 steel 100s with a farmer john 7mm suit in salt water.
To some (especially tropical aluminum tank divers) it might seem that I'm overweighted, I spear fish & crab at 15' to 50' (during the same dive) and therefore my weights need to hold me steady when much nearer the surface, but are a bit too much when near the bottom. Also, I dive with a buddy (aluminum tank) who has some buoyancy issues and more than once I have grabbed him to hold him down (and let air out of his BCD) near the end of the dive. (He's learned a lot, but that's another issue.) This is why instructors/DM are many times purposefully overweighted.

Back to the fat/muscle ratio. A couple of years ago, due to some health/medication issues, I put on a lot (20+ lbs) of weight in a hurry. As I got off the medication, I found that for every 5lbs of fat I could shed, I could drop about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs pounds of lead!!!

About dropping one weight from an integrated BCD. I would suggest that you try this before you depend on it. Dropping one weight of the two BCD weights can spin you around (because you're "unbalanced") which is quite messy underwater and possibly deadly when on top (don't panic - just slip out of your BCD). It would be one way of dumping part of your weights for an ascent, but I would practice with a friend (to watch and possibly "save" you) what it is like for you when on the surface. My experience is that it is OK when I'm in an upright position, but difficult in other positions.

About fins. Some fins sink and others are buoyant. This can make a big difference. I found this out when practicing "losing both my fins" (like getting on a dive boat when they reach for your fins and you get knocked back in the water). I am perfectly balance in the water when I have my fins on. Without the fins, I am helpless - it's scarey !!! I know that I would have to quickly exit my BCD if I lost my fins because I get flipped which leaves me face down in the water. Again, only try this with a friend helping.

I want to reiterate the importance of a buddy standing by while you do these things. I've learned the "hard way" and ended up in a few very dangerous predicaments. As in any diving skill - practice practice practice, because what you have learned and practiced is what you will do when under pressure in an emergency.

I hope these comments about "weights" are helpful to you and others.
 
Oor article I used to be an air hog until I found out that I am overweightq
 
Oor article I used to be an air hog until I found out that I am overweight

I used to be an air hog, but now I am just an air piglet :rofl3::rofl3:

---------- Post added July 29th, 2013 at 01:00 PM ----------


It's hard to know if or how much you are "overweighted".
A lot depends on how much muscle vs fat you are carrying as well as if you are diving with aluminum or steel tanks (and salt/fresh water & mil of weightsuit - as you have identified). Also, it depends on what you are doing at what depth.

I am 5'10", 200 lbs and dive at the present with 20 lbs with hp 3442 steel 100s with a farmer john 7mm suit in salt water.
To some (especially tropical aluminum tank divers) it might seem that I'm overweighted, I spear fish & crab at 15' to 50' (during the same dive) and therefore my weights need to hold me steady when much nearer the surface, but are a bit too much when near the bottom. Also, I dive with a buddy (aluminum tank) who has some buoyancy issues and more than once I have grabbed him to hold him down (and let air out of his BCD) near the end of the dive. (He's learned a lot, but that's another issue.) This is why instructors/DM are many times purposefully overweighted.

Back to the fat/muscle ratio. A couple of years ago, due to some health/medication issues, I put on a lot (20+ lbs) of weight in a hurry. As I got off the medication, I found that for every 5lbs of fat I could shed, I could drop about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs pounds of lead!!!

About dropping one weight from an integrated BCD. I would suggest that you try this before you depend on it. Dropping one weight of the two BCD weights can spin you around (because you're "unbalanced") which is quite messy underwater and possibly deadly when on top (don't panic - just slip out of your BCD). It would be one way of dumping part of your weights for an ascent, but I would practice with a friend (to watch and possibly "save" you) what it is like for you when on the surface. My experience is that it is OK when I'm in an upright position, but difficult in other positions.

About fins. Some fins sink and others are buoyant. This can make a big difference. I found this out when practicing "losing both my fins" (like getting on a dive boat when they reach for your fins and you get knocked back in the water). I am perfectly balance in the water when I have my fins on. Without the fins, I am helpless - it's scarey !!! I know that I would have to quickly exit my BCD if I lost my fins because I get flipped which leaves me face down in the water. Again, only try this with a friend helping.

I want to reiterate the importance of a buddy standing by while you do these things. I've learned the "hard way" and ended up in a few very dangerous predicaments. As in any diving skill - practice practice practice, because what you have learned and practiced is what you will do when under pressure in an emergency.

I hope these comments about "weights" are helpful to you and others.

Its so critical to note down all your changes for the dive;

steel/aluminium tank
wetsuit/boots/hood
Additional waterproof containers
sling tanks


Varying these things changes your buoyancy, and when you get the weight near right, any small changes in this area can affect you. And don't forget (as its so easy to), when your tank air runs down so does your weight, in particular aluminium tanks (yes they do float when empty and most people don't realise that).

Add a hood, change the thickness of boots or wetsuit and your buoyancy changes. Often its easy to get used to a setup and be happy with your weight then in a rush of the moment add a sling tank and wonder why you are heavy (but remembering if you drain it of air, it may then be buoyant).

For me with a
6.5 mm wetsuit/boots/hood/BCD and alum tank - 23 lb
3 mm wetsuit/boots/BCD alum tank - 6 lb
6.5 mm wetsuit/hood/wing, twin steels, 7 litre alum sling tank, - 3 lb
3.5 mm wetsuit/boots, twin steels, 7 litre alum sling tank - 0 lb and heavy

So one can see any changes means reweighting at the start of the dive but keeping the end of the dive in mind. With an alum tank you should be a little heavier at the start and hopefully this is counteracted at the end with low air in your tank.

Experiment and write it down.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom